


Before the Darkness Wins, the Screaming Starts

by Myka, UnholyNightmare



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Beheading, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Decapitation, Goretober 2019, Guro, M/M, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 09:49:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21177437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myka/pseuds/Myka, https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnholyNightmare/pseuds/UnholyNightmare
Summary: “I want to play a little game,” Yue says. His smile grows as he crosses his arms. “One of you gets to live. One of you dies.”





	Before the Darkness Wins, the Screaming Starts

**Author's Note:**

> Goretober Day 15: Decapitation
> 
> Please read the tags. Consider yourself warned.

* * *

They throw Ash against the wall first, and he hits hard, his head snapping back and limbs falling loose. The man holding Eiji just tightens his grip, despite Eiji’s push against him. They hit Ash so hard outside the apartment that he’d instantly slumped down, eyes rolling back, and now? Now Eiji’s terrified that Ash isn’t going to wake up. That the wound at the side of his head that’s sluggishly bleeding bright red is far worse than it looks.

Head injuries are the most dangerous, he knows this from pole vaulting. They are sinister things, hiding below the surface, and he needs to check on Ash, he has to make sure if Ash is okay–

“Let go!” he bursts out, squirming against the solid mass of muscle holding him. “Let me go!”

“He’s fine,” Yue says, serpentine smile curling up at his lips. “Why so worried, Ei-chan?”

The way he says it is so derisive, so full of hate, that Eiji burns with it. “I am older than you are,” Eiji growls. His anger is brewing, hot and heavy in his gut. He hates Yue. He hates him so much that his teeth clench together and his hands knit into fists. “Why–”

The guard holding him pushes him forward with so much force that Eiji stumbles over Ash’s body and barely catches himself against the wall. He swallows, then sinks down on his haunches, running a hand along Ash’s neck until his fingers are at the pulse point.

It’s there.

It’s fluttering and weak, but it’s there.

Eiji swallows in relief, then turns back to Yue.

The two guards have flanked him–one on either side–and they stand with their arms crossed, glaring at him with menace, looking for all the world like they are two evil henchmen out of some horrible movie. 

Eiji stands back up slowly, taking a deep breath and trying not to show fear. “What do you want?” 

The guards don’t move an inch, but Yue laughs– a tinkling, bell-like sound. “Oh...I don’t know.” He cards a hand through his hair, fingers tangling in the bottom of it, and he’s silent as he works them through all the way, until the black shiny strands lay perfectly against his shirt. “I don’t like you.”

Eiji grits his teeth even tighter. “What do you–”

“I want to play a little game,” Yue says. His smile grows as he crosses his arms. “One of you gets to live. One of you dies.”

An icy cold settles in the pit of Eiji’s belly, and he’s not sure what to say. He’s not sure he heard right, if he correctly understood Yue’s English. “I…” he looks back down at Ash. His golden blond hair is matting to the back of his scalp, and new, fresh streams of blood are trickling down to the white carpet, staining it dark. “He needs help,” Eiji says quietly. He forces himself to make eye contact with Yue and to relax his fists. He has to stay calm. He has to give Yue what he wants, and he has to get Ash out of here. “He needs a doctor,” he repeats, eyes flickering to both guards, before settling again on Yue. “Please,” he bows his head in some semblance of obeisance.

“So you’d like him to live then? And you to die?”

Yue hasn’t moved a muscle, he’s barely even breathing, the only motion comes from his lips as they close over the words.

Eiji doesn’t know what to say. Is he serious? Is he really serious? They are in an expensive high-rise apartment. There’s dark wooden flooring with an incredibly ornate white Persian rug that Ash is currently bleeding all over. There are shelves with books, a desk that holds a computer and…

He can’t possibly mean to really kill them here.

He can’t–

“I’d appreciate it if you made your decision quickly. I have other affairs to tend to, and I’m getting bored. If you don’t want to decide, I’ll just kill you both.”

He’s so cold as he says it, just staring with deadened eyes, and…

Eiji wonders what happened to Yue to make him like this.

What kind of horrible past does he have?

“No,” Eiji says, and his voice cracks on it. “Just…” he squeezes his eyes closed so tightly he sees white, then kneels back down over Ash, brushing a hand through his hair and letting his fingertips rest against Ash’s temple.

“I’m getting bored,” Yue says. “Make your choice.”

Ash is breathing so calmly that it’s almost imperceptible, but his lips fall open for just a moment, and Eiji can almost pretend they aren’t here, they are back at home, curled up on the couch, Ash falling asleep against him like he does almost nightly.

Yue makes a grunting sound in the background.

Running his hand through Ash’s hair again, Eiji takes a deep breath. “You’re not really going to hurt us. I just can’t believe someone can kill so easily like it is nothing.”

“Qiang.” Yue grits his teeth. “Kill the the American.”

It happens so fast Eiji doesn’t even have time to react.

The bodyguard who’d carried Eiji in comes forward, pulling a long blade from his back and grabbing a fistfull of Ash’s hair. Eiji shrieks, and wraps his arms around Ash’s arm, trying to hold on, but Qiang kicks him aside as though he’s nothing. Eiji falls forward, palms hitting the carpet right in front of the sofa. 

Right in front of Yue.

He blinks dizzily for a moment, then pushes himself back up to his feet, only to see the guard bend Ash’s head back unnaturally and push the blade into his neck, red blood appearing instantaneously.

“Stop! Stop!” Eiji’s screams, launching himself forward. “Me! You can kill me!” He grabs Qiang’s wrist and pulls, and it’s doing nothing, he doesn’t weigh enough to move him, he’s screaming and screaming and–

“Fine,” Yue says, and with a snap of his fingers, Qiang stops, letting Ash drop to the floor.

“Oh my god,” Eiji says, his hands tangling in his own hair, as he drops to his knees. “Oh my god...I...oh my god…” his heart is beating so fast he can’t breathe, but Ash is breathing. Ash is still breathing. Eiji wrestles off his jacket and presses it against Ash’s throat, watching as blood soaks through immediately. 

It’s a deep cut, but Ash just moans, throwing his head to one side before stilling against completely. 

Eiji tries to take in a deep breath, tries to calm the panic that’s flooding his veins. The bleeding is slowing, and Ash is breathing steadily. He’s going to be fine. 

He_ has _ to be.

“Qiang.”

A heavy hand tangles in Eiji’s hair and he’s forced to stand up. In his periphery, he can see the second bodyguard still standing behind Yue, still unflinching, unmoving. Qiang pulls him forward and then stares at him as though Eiji is nothing at all. 

As though he’s just a thing.

“Please,” Eiji begs, ripping his eyes away from the bodyguard and focusing again on Yue.

Do they feel nothing? 

“Strip.” Qiang commands, his voice heavily accented, and Eiji slowly peels away his shirt with shaking hands, then starts unbuckling his belt.

“Not naked.” Qiang growls. “Only need to see your neck.”

A cold shiver creeps up Eiji’s spine. Everything feels surreal, this can’t be happening. 

_ It’s not real, _ he tries to tell himself. _ It’s not real, it’s going to be okay. _

Yue finally moves, walking over to the sofa and splaying himself on top of it watching with interest. “Just follow Qiang’s orders,” he says cheerfully. “He’s quite good at his job.”

Eiji bites his lower lip. The door opens and a third guard wheels in a black cart with two boxes–one that’s large and squared, and another that’s long and flat. 

Qiang grabs the larger box and opens it, pulling out a big piece of wood. At first Eiji isn’t sure what it is, or what it’s going to be used for, until the guard places it atop the white carpet and Eiji can see the curved indentation on the top.

Eiji gives a step back.

“Don’t move,” Yue warns him. “Just watch! It’s always so fun observing the preparations.”

Eiji’s body freezes, his hands start to shake.

Yue snaps his fingers, and someone presses a glass of wine into his hands which he sips with a smile.

He’s a monster. 

Eiji doesn’t know what to do, he’s looking at all these guards who are in the room now, all these _ people _ who aren’t saying a single word against this!

Qiang opens the long box next and pulls out a heavy axe.

“This is not real,” Eiji whispers, eyes darting to the floor. “It is not real. It is–”

Yue snickers. “Watch, Ei-chan. Or I tell my men to put Ash on that block.”

Eiji forces his head back up, though tears are pooling in his eyes.

“Come here,” Qiang orders. But Eiji stays frozen, shaking.

“He gave you an order.” Yue warns, and there’s a direness to his voice now, a sour darkness, and Eiji can tell it’s the last warning he’ll get. _ Me or Ash. Me or Ash. _

Ash’s chest rises and falls. The sun is setting outside the window behind Yue’s desk, and it’s casting rays over the apartment now, lighting Ash golden.

_ Me or Ash. _

There is no choice. Eiji obeys, stepping forward hesitantly and standing where he’s been told– in front of Qiang, next to the block.

“Turn around,” Qiang says.

He obeys.

His hands are pulled back and tied together tight, and something pricks his neck. He can feel a drug rushing into his system from a needle–it’s warm and tingling as it enters his body.

“Just a nice little anticoagulant,” Yue says, in a sing-song voice. “Don’t want all of your blood on my floor.” 

Eiji swallows, though his throat is clogged and his tongue feels thick in his mouth. 

“Now kneel down and put your head on the block.”

He obeys.

The carpet is soft on his knees. The block seems clean, but close up, Eiji can see specks of red, spattered against the wood. It’s rough against his throat, and he swallows, suddenly very, very cold.

Eiji can see Ash from the corner of his eyes. He wants to touch him again. He wants to be held by Ash again. He blinks, and the tears are there, making his vision swim. “Ash,” he whispers.

“Don’t move or it will be worse.”

Eiji takes a long shaky breath.

Fingers play around the back of his neck. Pushing his hair away to expose the skin. He sees Qiang grabbing the axe and hauling it up with ease. Then there’s cold metal resting against his neck, and Eiji tenses, terror rising in his throat.

“Relax.” Yue mocks. “He’s just making sure he’s getting a good aim.”

“I…” Eiji gasps.

“Does the axe feel heavy on your neck?” Yue grins.

“I...yes...” Eiji isn’t sure if his words are clear.

“Do you know what that axe is going to do?”

Eiji swallows hard. “You will let Ash go?”

Yue hisses like a snake. “I asked you what the axe was going to do.”

Closing his eyes, Eiji tries to breathe. “It...it is going to cut off my head.”

“That’s right.” 

Eiji can feel the smile on Yue’s face. He swallows thickly. “Then you let Ash go.”

His words are so soft that he’s worried that no one has heard. It takes a moment, but then– 

“I keep my promises.” The tone on Yue’s voice is angrier. “Besides. I want to see what kind of devil Ash Lynx becomes when he also loses something he loves.”

_ I’m not loved. _ Eiji thinks.

But Ash’s screaming face begging to be killed for him floats in his mind.

The axe rubs over his neck again then leaves. Eiji’s heart beats harder.

He can see Qiang raising it high over his head just on his peripheral.

Ash whines in front of him.

“Go.” Yue orders.

Qiang swings down.

Ash’s eyes flutter open just as the axe cuts through Eiji’s neck.

And Eiji feels it. 

He doesn’t know if it’s what was injected into him or what, but he’s aware of everything. Of the axe slicing through his muscle, his spine, and his trachea with a powerful thud. Separating his head from his body. He falls into the white carpet, his nose smushing against the fibers, and he can actually hear Yue laughing.

Fingers grab his hair and Eji’s field of vision shakes quickly as Qiang holds his severed head to show his master.

“Excellent, excellent!” Yue grins from ear to ear.

It doesn’t last long. His vision starts to blur as Eiji looks down and sees his headless body. Blood is still squirting from the neck, tied hands are still spasming. The carpet is soaked with dark red blood.

“Put his head in front of the block so we can take a picture.” Yue says, somewhere.

His voice is fuzzy now, and darkness starts creeping at the edges of Eiji’s vision. Qiang must have obeyed his master’s orders though because now, the carpet stretches in front of Eiji, and at the end of it is Ash–eyes open, and wide, and very, very lucid.

And just before the darkness wins, the screaming starts.

**Author's Note:**

> Find us on Twitter:  
[Agentcoop](twitter.com/agentcoop1)  
[Myka](https://twitter.com/mykafl)


End file.
